Full Circle
by PretiBurdi
Summary: Around Japan people of all ages are being murdered or spirited away. On the soccer field in Shino, Amai Nagori works hard to stay MVP forward but discovers some weird things are happening in her home town. In Spirit World, a pattern is becoming clear, and everything is coming full circle.
1. Chapter 1 (The Sporting Life)

YEAH DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS? IT'S A FANFICTION. IT'S A REAL ONE. WITH MULTIPLE CHAPTERS. I've been writing this thing for MONTHS so I have a few chapters in reserve, because I hope to update about once a week, Thursday or Friday. Special thanks to my reviewers and followers and friends who have forced me to write more, out of love I'm sure. I've received a lot of great feedback and I'd love to hear more ;) winkwinknudgenudge

Anyway, I like murders and mysteries and grossness so if that's too much I apologize :D Sorta. A little. ;)

The song featured in the title is "THE SPORTING LIFE" by THE DECEMBERISTS so go listen already they're amaazinggg. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! I'm so excited to finally post this and hear back from y'all. :)

SHOUT OUT TO GIBBS (theshirtlessgibby) AND MELON-GO AND LITE-BRITES OF TUMBLR ! WHOOOO!

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**Chapter 1 (The Sporting Life)**

**I fell on the playing field  
the work of an errant heel  
the din of the crowd and the loud commotion  
went deafening silence and stopped emotion**

"_The unidentified body found in Aoi Lake was heavily mutilated. The fingers were removed at the knuckle, further impairing the detectives' ability to identify the body. Medical examiner Kuroneko says that the body was in the lake for several days, but the peri-mortem ritualistic-like carvings were largely unaffected. A doctor of languages from the nearby university was unable to connect the carvings with any human language, hinting largely that the symbols could be of the occult. Officers cannot connect this murder to the other unsolved crimes of the Ritual Killer at this time. One detective, who will remain anonymous, says that if it is the same killer he is likely regressing."_

Amazing how reporters could stay so stoic, even while reporting the most atrocious of crimes. Kazuma Kuwabara sometimes wondered if they had any sympathy at all, the way they relayed this awful incident. His head was leaning into his hand as he stared at the news, wishing he could be as helpful here as he was doing Spirit World work.

"Another one, huh?"

Kuwabara turned his head to see Yusuke Urameshi walking down the aisle of the café. It was a small place, with old tiles and duct tape on some of the booth seats. Still, it had been around Saryashiki for as long as he could remember and that made it a great meeting place for the lot of them.

"Yeah," Kuwabara nodded as Yusuke took the seat opposite him. "The police think those other murders are all connected somehow. I think they said it was the symbols, or the dump sites or something."

Yusuke frowned as the news station showed a clip of a blurry form being dragged out of the shallow Aoi Lake. The waitress, an older woman who'd been working at the place since it had opened, peeked her head out of the kitchen.

"What can I get you, Urameshi? Coffee?" she had a sweet voice and an easy smile.

"How about a beer?" he teased with a grin.

"Soda it is then," she replied and turned back into the kitchen, leaving Kuwabara chuckling in his seat at the exchange.

"_Breaking news!"_ the reporter announced rather excitedly. A photo of a mousy, young student appeared on the screen, obviously some sort of school identification photo. _"Channel 6 News is the first with this information! The unidentified body has been identified! The victim is thirteen year old Honda Mina. Honda-san was a Junior High student in Nanba, just one town over from where she was found in Aoi Lake. Fellow reporter Riko Takanawa is reporting en route to the Honda household in Nanba."_

Kuwabara cursed under his breath. This girl's parents probably just found out about their daughter's death, and now the reporters were going to harass them.

"Sometimes humans are worse than the demons," Yusuke muttered, crossing his arms and leaning back into the booth's cushions. He offered a small smile at the waitress as she placed the soda in front of him and refilled Kuwabara's coffee.

Once she returned to the kitchen, the two boys resumed watching the news until the bell on the door chimed and a familiar red head entered the café.

"You know," Kurama mused as he stood by Yusuke and Kuwabara's table, "Hiei will never come in here."

Yusuke laughed quietly, "Yeah I figured. Little runt can't stand human places like this, huh?"

Kurama simply smiled in that appeasing manner. The waitress once again stuck her head out from the kitchen.

"Coffee for your friend, Kazuma?" she offered, eyes flickering between the boys.

Kuwabara shook his head and thanked the woman again. He grabbed his wallet and searched it for the right amount to pay for his own coffee, quirking an eyebrow at Yusuke. Nine times out of ten, Yusuke would harass Kuwabara into paying. This time, Yusuke reached into his own wallet and pulled out some change. He grinned at his best friend and shrugged. Kuwabara simply downed the rest of his coffee and stood, glad for the day off from school. Weekends really were his favorite, despite how invested in studying he'd become as of recent.

"The bus stops just outside the café," Yusuke told Kurama as they hastened out the front door. "Going all together will make the trip to Genkai's a little less boring. Probably."

Kazuma Kuwabara took one last look at the TV screen before he left, too. He wasn't sure if it was a matter of whether or not demons were better than humans. But he was certain there was evil in the human world, and he was certain that he'd devote his life to finding and stopping it.

* * *

Fall was, without a doubt, the greatest time for practice. It wasn't too hot that they were sweating buckets, and it wasn't so cold that their toes froze in their cleats. Amai Nagori, Shino High's forward starter, was in love with autumn. The very word was sweet. Thinking about this is probably why she tripped over her untied shoelaces and crashed to the dirt.

Groaning, Amai rolled over and stared at the sky for a moment. Her dark brown eyes reflected the clouds floating across the sky, half-lidded in daydreams of scoring the winning goal and being lifted up on the shoulders of her teammates. Heavy footfall neared and a few of her teammates ran around her, teasing as they passed. Amai grinned and hopped back to her feet, sprinting after them.

"How was your nap, Nagori?" teased Matsuno, the team's usual defense.

Amai stuck out her tongue, making Matsuno grin. "I'll be all rested up for our game, okay?"

They playfully bickered as they slowed to a stop in front of their coach, Keito Honda. Keito was a methodical, calculative, sharp coach. Amai often thought of Keito as their General, and the fresh cut grass their battlefield.

Panting, Keito's army awaited further instruction.

"Stretch out, team." Keito commanded, checking her whiteboard one last time before explaining their strategy.

Amai gazed out over the field. The other team was stretching, also. What was their school called… Kuboyashi High? Geeze, they looked tall… Amai yelped as her coach pushed down on her back. Amai's hands hit the earth and her muscles shouted angrily as Keito leaned a little harder.

"Stop daydreaming! We got a game to win, ok?" Keito muttered.

"I know," Amai retorted grumpily. Keito and Amai were good friends, but Keito could be kind of a hard ass when she was in coach-mode.

Keito left to harass another team member and Amai let out a sigh of relief, once again peering through her side bangs across the field. As per usual, Amai's hair had been put up in a high ponytail, the ends of her dark mahogany hair bouncing against the back of her neck as she stood up straight. Taking a hair clip from her pocket, she scooped up her bangs and pulled them away from her face. There, now she was ready. Her hair, a little bit wavy as it hung from its holder, would stay out of her face and out of her way.

The school colors, bright red and a clean white, were displayed in her uniform and matching cleats. Shino High wasn't known for much, but their girls soccer team was relatively known throughout the nearby towns. Her knees were already green with grass stains, but she felt fresh and ready for the game.

A whistle blew, the coaches went out, and Amai continued stretching. Hm. The other coach was _really _cute. His hair was a light brown and styled nicely, and she could see his long eyelashes from the sidelines. Amai realized she was staring and abruptly returned to touching her toes. Keito rejoined the group, gave the girls their starting positions, and sent them out.

The other coach was speaking animatedly to his team before sending them out with a loud cheer. She wondered if he was a senior… and if he was single. Making a choking noise, Amai brought her head back to the task at hand: winning this game. Kuboyashi's team let out a cheer and raced to the field. The coin toss from earlier led to Shino starting the game. The whistle blew for the game to begin and Amai ran to the ball, passing it to her left and running ahead so her teammate would have someone to pass to.

The game went as such for some time. Amai was on fire. She hadn't scored a goal yet- Kuboyashi's goalie was brutal, but their defense was lacking. So into the game was she that, in an effort to snatch the ball back from an opposing player, Amai didn't notice that she'd traipsed back into the territory of her own defense. That is, until she crashed head-long into Matsuno.

The two toppled backwards, landing and rolling on top of one another. Amai quickly moved off of Matsuno, her head aching something awful. Rubbing the back of her skull, Amai heard a whistle and a rustle of feet. Suddenly, Keito was there on the field.

"What the hell, Amai!" she shouted, causing Amai to blush a little- it felt like all the people in the stands were looking at her.

Keito kneeled in front of Matsuno, a hard look on her face. Amai sat up and peered around Keito's shoulder. She inhaled quickly at the sight.

"Matsuno! I'm so-so-so sorry!" Amai bemoaned.

The poor girl's nose was bleeding pretty heavily. Matsuno grinned, though. "Your thick head hit my nose, dummy!"

"Speaking of thick heads," Keito rounded on Amai, stuffing tissues in Matsuno's direction. "You wanna play defense so much? You can stand in for Matsuno."

Amai started to complain loudly but one heated look from Keito and her mouth snapped shut. Her teeth clacked with the force of it. Keito called one of the reserve players over to take over Amai's spot as forward. This player, a sophomore, would surely take the coveted position once Amai had the pleasure of graduating. It didn't sit well with Amai as she wandered back towards the goal, a rather dramatic pout on her face. Defense just wasn't as much fun to Amai- she liked being in the fray. Sure, she could play many of the soccer positions, but forward just felt… hers.

Scuffing her cleats against the grass, she prepared herself for an ostensibly boring game. The sophomore was good- definitely as good as Amai was (though she hated to admit that), and was more than capable of keeping the ball in the opposing team's half of the field. When the half-time whistle finally rang, Amai had touched the ball once, and it had been quite easy to kick it back across the field.

Amai half-listened to Keito's mid-game rant. It seemed that she would not have anything to do for another 30 minutes of gameplay. The girls over at Kobayashi, though tall, seemed tired after fighting to keep the ball out of their goal. They were still all tied 0-0, and Amai wondered if Shino's offense would continue to be able to penetrate Kobayashi's strong defense.

The girls all rushed back onto the field after the chirp of another whistle and Amai grudgingly found herself back at defense. The breeze caught her attention more than once, and her bangs sprang free from their pin at one point. During one of these moments of distraction, she was surprised to see the soccer ball roll by her and towards the goal, followed by a crowd of shouting soccer players.

With a gasp, Amai turned and ran after the ball, struggling to catch up with the crowd. Her heart was in her throat- if Kobayashi scored it would be entirely her fault. She wouldn't play first string for the rest of the season! She'd be water girl when she graduated! The sheer _horror_. Sprinting like she'd never done before, she was midway into the group when a Kobayashi forward gave the ball a mighty kick.

In almost slow motion it arched towards the goal. Amai growled, reaching out her hands as if suddenly she could stop the ball through sheer force of will.

It was then that the ball bounced.

The ball didn't bounce off the goal post, it didn't bounce off a person. But it sure as hell bounced away from the goal, as if an invisible wall had grown, protecting the goal. Amai sneezed, her eyes squeezing shut. When she opened her eyes again, everyone was standing around, staring at the net. Somewhere, a whistle blew. Players began jumping and waving their hands in the air, trying to see if there was something physically there. The coaches ran to the field, running past Amai's stunned form.

"Woah!" Kobayashi's coach had turned to glimpse at Amai, stopped, and began walking back to her. "Hey, you're nose is bleeding."

For a moment, she was stunned by how handsome he was. That dusty brown hair was haphazardly spiked in the front, as if he often ran his hands through it. His face was boyish and his eyes were big and a brown so dark she felt she was swimming in it. His smile was easy as he waited for her to stop staring and say something.

Yelping with embarrassment, Amai brought her hands to her nose. "Gross! That's weird. Maybe I sneezed too hard," she grumbled around her hands.

Kobayashi's coach drew some gauze from his pocket and offered it to her apologetically. "I'm more used to dressing skinned knees, but this should help."

Amai accepted it gratefully. "Thanks." After a pause, she looked at the ref who was also jumping and waving his arms in the air. "I wonder what happened…"

He gave her a heavy look, startling Amai. She was all the more confused when he offered his hand with a sly smile and said, "Toru Arashii."

Amai wiped one hand on her leg, deemed it mostly clean, and shook his hand. "Uh, Amai. Amai Nagori."

"Nice to meet you, Nagori-san," he grinned and Amai nodded in reply. "Let's talk after the game! You were a great forward, I'd love to ask you a bit about your technique."

Amai nodded again, completely unsure of what was going on. Boy? Handsome boy? Handsome boy talking to Amai? Sure, she'd had boyfriends and been on a whole slew of dates, but this guy – this _Arashii _guy – was super hot. Like model hot. And he was talking to her. Amai's ego got a huge boost, in that moment.

Meanwhile, Arashii waved and headed over to where Keito and the ref were speaking in low tones. Amai stared at the place where the ball had bounced off thin air. Then she looked at her hands, recalling how she'd stretched them out toward the soccer ball and how she'd _willed _the ball to bounce away from the goal.

No. That was stupid. It must have been the wind or something. Pocketing the slightly-bloody gauze, she checked her nose and deemed it fine. It seemed the game would continue as if nothing had happened, judging from the players all meandering back into position and the ref shrugging at the two coaches. Arashii looked back at Amai and she stared, wide eyed. A light smile played on his all-too-kissable lips and she blushed.

The game was over soon after that, a boring 0-0 tie game that had Amai wishing she'd been in forward. For all of that sophomore's fancy foot tricks, Amai was certain she could have gotten a goal and won the game. After the team huddle, the two teams met in the middle of the field to shake hands. Arashii shook her hand for just a moment too long.

Taking her hand and flipping her palm up, Arashii took a pen from behind his ear and scribbled down a number on the soft skin of her hand. Trying to ignore the waggling eyebrows and strange looks from her teammates, she looked up at Arashii through her eyelashes.

"I have to get back on the bus with my team, but text me. We'll get coffee or something." He capped the pen and stuck it back behind his ear.

Amai's mouth dropped open. Wow. She had a date. She loved dates. Grinning wildly, she nodded and turned back to her teammates, the weird incident of the soccer ball now erased from her mind. It was a freak accident, anyway.

A lot of weird things happened that day, but Amai could only focus on what one wears to a coffee date. She didn't hear the somber news on the radio as she drove home. She didn't hear about the strange murder a few towns away from Shino, or the other one up North near Tokyo. As is the case with most stories, Amai was completely unaware of what would soon be happening to her.

**So far I had known no humiliation  
In front of my friends and close relations  
I'll prove to the crowd that I come out stronger  
Though I think I might lie here a little longer**

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! This fic has been a long time coming. I know it's a bit wordy but I wanted to make sure I get all the facts I need it... bear with me.

I'm not gonna come after you and be all "Wah wah review review" but if you want me to be super honest... I do write faster with motivation. I love hearing from you guys, even if it's just to say you love my hair! All the reviews and comments and followers I've gained through my other fics... I hope you enjoy this one! If you have a song suggestion, feel free to message me that too (and go listen to The Sporting Life already!)

Love y'all, stay cool. Thanks for all your patience and love :) -pretiburdi / evereverafterly / Kate


	2. Chapter 2 (Move You)

****'Ello, 'ello, 'ello! I update this from my uncle's house... and I'm down to the wire! I'm trying to update every Thrs/Fri. We shall see how long that lasts, haha. As it is, my life continues to be in the air :) Hooray!

Anyway, thank you for reading this fic! It means a lot to me. :)

Shout out to the two anons who reviewed! Hello! You both said almost the exact same thing... :O I also love crime and intrigue and all that, I promise to make this as exciting and gross as possible. Gross?! I mean gory. NO. I mean... flowery and with many sunshines and daisies. :)

Anyway, reviews are OBVIOUSLY always appreciated! Tell your friends ;) Also go listen to these songs holy cow I have great music taste x) Enjoy the show! (short chapter is short aporogies :O )

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**Chapter 2 (Move You)**

**But oh, how I struggled in vain  
To solve this riddle with my brain  
When the answer's in my hands**

Morning was fast paced in the Nagori household. If you woke up a mere five minutes late, all the milk was gone and that last piece of bread you hid last night was being eaten by an unworthy sibling. Amai, despite her magical ability to hide food, was no match for the nose of her ever-hungry older brother Atsushi Nagori. The morning after the soccer game was no different.

Amai's timing was perfect- she was dressed for the morning workout, her backpack slung over her shoulder and sports bag hanging on the other. She snatched the piece of bread from her brother's mouth (he'd only taken one bite) and grabbed her lunch from the kitchen counter. She was always careful to grab her own, since there were typically four lunches on the counter: Amai's, Miki's, Ichi's, and Yuri's. Sometimes her father got a lunchbox too, but typically he was up early enough to make his own. The point is that Amai had a full, full house.

Ignoring Atsushi's loud protests, Amai shouted a goodbye to her family and ran out the front door, determined to jog the whole way to school. As her family was not particularly well off, they only had one iPod shared among the siblings and today was not her day to use it. Instead, she listened to the sounds of people getting up for the day and snatches of conversation.

When she made it to her school's gym, she was already pretty tired but excited to begin the workout with the rest of her team. She started with another apology to Matsuno, though while they were chatting her hand-me-down cell phone started vibrating. A short apology and she flipped open the phone, grinning as she read the message.

"Ooh, is it a text from your new _boyfriend_?" Matsuno teased, leaning over Amai's shoulder to read the text aloud in a teasingly sultry voice. "_[So about that coffee date… are you free tomorrow night?]_"

Amai shut her phone with an embarrassed blush. "Come on, Matsuno."

As Matsuno danced around the room chanting that Amai had a date, Amai hastily typed back, "_[Sure! 7 ok?]_"

Determined to ignore the texts for the rest of the workout, Amai hid her cell phone in her backpack and proceeded to stretch out alongside her teasing teammates. Finally, listening in on her friends' conversations, Amai picked up on the plot.

Metaphorical ears popping up, Amai turned to her friends as she planked. "Wait, what the heck's been going on?"

Keito rolled her eyes at Amai, pushing her bottom down with her foot. "Head's in the clouds as usual, Nagori. You haven't heard about the weird murders?"

Amai shook her head emphatically and one of the other teammates picked up on the story. "They've only reported two that I know, but the reporters speculate that it could be more than five connected murders in the past six months."

"The two recent ones were both girls, one was in college and the other in junior high school." The story was passed around the room, as if rehearsed.

Keito rounded it off, concluding that the corpses had been found with their hands covering their eyes and some sort of strange marking on their foreheads, although the most recent victim had been found in a lake a few towns over. Amai shuddered and dropped her plank, stretching her arms as she thought. It sounded creepy and she hoped that this supposed string of murders would be solved soon. Her older sister was beautiful and worked full time to save for college… well, Amai was worried. In fact, though she was quite good at pushing her worries away, Amai found herself looking around the room and praying that everyone here would be safe.

"Hey, get your mind back on your stretches, Nagori." Keito startled Amai, slapping her on the back. "No one here's getting killed, because we have another game against Sarayashiki High. So everyone better run to the bus after school because it's leaving five minutes after the bell!"

Amai groaned and began thinking about strategies for the game when she squeaked and looked up at Keito, quietly asking: "Keito, can I be forward again?"

Keito snorted. "Well, as long as you _stay where you're supposed to_, I guess I can put you back there. Besides, after that weird thing with the ball – you're obviously bad luck in defense."

"Yeah," Amai laughed nervously. "That was pretty weird."

But she was quiet for the rest of the morning workout, and altogether too pensive in the showers. Her friends talked around her as she rewound, fast forwarded, and paused her memory of the soccer ball as much as she could. All she could get was that she wanted the ball to stop, it did stop, and her nose started bleeding. But she couldn't just make things stop by asking nicely, especially not inanimate objects. And her nose was probably just bleeding because of the tumble she'd taken with Matsuno… just delayed, or something.

Whatever. It wasn't like her to dwell on things. She spent the day chatting with her friends and texting during class (though her phone was snatched right away by their English professor and held until after class), bemoaning a C in Japanese History and high fiving herself at her first A in Math for the year.

When the day finally ended, she shoved her homework into her backpack, ran to the gym for her workout bag and scuttled out the back exit towards the bus. She received a smile from Keito as she boarded and Keito checked her name off the list.

Once everyone was on board, they began singing some upbeat, campy music to prepare and pump up. This continued until they reached Sarayashiki. Still cheering and singing a rowdy chorus, Shino High's soccer team jumped off the bus the minute they arrived.

However, the soccer game was eerily normal. Amai waited for something else to happen and in fact had several one-sided conversations with the soccer ball (especially as it sailed into her team's net before half time). They ended with a 2-2 score, the tie game meant that they'd be seeing each other again soon, as their league disliked penalty shots deciding a win or loss.

After shaking the Saryashiki team's hands, Amai found herself staring at her goal. Her team had joked about the mysterious wind blocking the soccer ball, of how the soccer god had protected their goal. But it really bothered Amai. It was then that she resolved to revisit the crime scene for herself.

Sometime later, when the sun had just barely set, Amai cinched her shoelaces tight, hefted her backpack onto her shoulders, and settled onto her slightly rusted mountain bike. Though she had walked to school earlier that day, it was much eerier with the sun gone and Amai felt safer on bike. She had duct taped a flashlight onto the handles of her bike years ago and it glared brightly at the press of a button.

Detective Amai (for truly, if she could not be an Olympic soccer player she wanted to be a police officer of some sort) set off for Shino High, a bright white helmet set on her head, the clasp undone and the wind blowing through her slightly askew hair.

She made it to the school in record time, her bike bouncing over the sidewalk and onto the fields behind the parking lot. Sticking her feet out in front of her, Amai used her besneakered heels to slow her bike to a stop. She stared up at the tall white goalposts of the soccer field. It was eerie with no one else around and the school lights all off. Amai tapped her flashlight to test its durability. It didn't even flicker, setting Amai's mind at ease.

"Alright here," she muttered to herself, swinging her backpack off and pulling out another flashlight. She flashed it over the corners of the goal, letting her bike fall over as she went to investigate the goal posts more closely. Though stunted in height, she waved her free hand over every inch of the goal… and found nothing.

"Well, that doesn't make much sense." She fell backwards onto the ground and looked up at the goal. She muttered in a dramatically mysterious voice (aware of how foolish it all seemed), "What secrets do you hold?"

The goal did not respond back and after a moment, Amai rolled to her feet, ready to go back. She clicked off the flashlight in her hand. Though she was nowhere near it, the flashlight on her bike went out as well.

**I'm moving it safe, moving it slow  
Teach me a lesson 'cause I wanna know  
If the answer's in my hands**

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Thank you for reading! Please rate and review and I'll see you next week! If you wanna harass me or say hello, drop by my tumblr evereverafterly !


	3. Chapter 3 (Crawling Towards the Sun)

Hello everyone! Sorry this has taken so long to update: I have wishy washy wifi (pronounced wee-fee, obviously) so it's been hard to update. However, I'm pleased to introduce chapter 3 and to taunt you by saying that the latest chapter I'm writing is extremely exciting.

Special tanks to my Beta reader: Ryan O! You know who you is.

Also thanks to _emifly_ and _LunarWanderer1420_ for adding me to your lists! I look forward to reading any of your reviews and comments!

I am committed to writing and finishing this story, gosh darnit. And I would supremely love to read your reviews, they really keep me writing. Thank you again, in advance, and enjoy the show! :)

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Chapter 3 (Crawling Towards the Sun)

**Out on the town we went  
To carry out missions  
Neither you or I would ever know sunlight  
**

It was surprisingly dark without the flashlights. Amai thought that the moon had been out, just moments before. It didn't seem to be there anymore. She tried to turn on the flashlight in her hand, the clicks echoing hollowly through the empty field. No light came from the sky. Suddenly, she was wide-eyed, trying to make her eyes see in the dark. Turns out, human eyes don't do that. Amai's feet stayed planted in the ground as she turned her head to and fro, trying to find any source of light.

She saw nothing.

By now her heart felt like it was slowly crawling up into her mouth, like a boa constrictor was growing in her stomach and seeking an escape. In fact she could feel the hiss of her breath like a serpent's, spattering against her teeth.

She forced her right foot forward but fell as her left foot stayed where it was, something wrapped tight around it. Whispering curses, breathless, she moved her stuck left foot. She tried wriggling it but it just couldn't get free. Amai's hands went to her foot, feeling for what held her so tightly.

"Huh," she thought, her shoulders slumping, "Just a vine or something."

She began attempting to pull the vine off, feeling as if she'd been overreacting, when she felt the thing tighten around her foot. Amai yelped, her hair standing on end. Maybe it was a mini-boa constrictor? No, that was stupid.

"What the hell is this thing?" she shouted as she continued her fruitless attempts to tear the vine from her foot.

It was then that the vine began moving its way up her leg over her leggings, constricting against her shin and snaking up towards her knee. As she lifted her right hand to try and shred the vine with her nails, she found that a similar vine had woven itself through her fingers and around her wrist. Her mind screamed at her to run while some small facet of it insisted she was dreaming. Her lungs stopped working correctly and she couldn't sum up the oxygen to scream let alone breathe regularly.

The vine was winding up to her elbow and knee now, and those appendages were beginning to feel numb with the tightness of it. She struggled; a sweat breaking out on her brow despite the chill of the air- had the temperature dropped since she first got there? It was suddenly freezing.

But what a lame heroine she would be if she didn't keep trying to escape. Despite the vine pulling at her limbs she planted her free foot and pulled with all her strength. It clung to her but she pulled harder, grunting with the effort. She felt one root break free from the ground, and then another. She also felt the bones in her wrist pinching together in a manner that assured her of a broken wrist, if she pulled much harder.

Letting out a very angry and loud grumble, Amai maneuvered her hands so she could relieve some pressure from her wrist and pulled harder.

"I said to leave it!"

Amai froze as she heard the voice from the trees surrounding the field. She turned her head, then gasped and returned her attention to the vines which had begun wrapping up her arm and leg with renewed fervor.

"Ah can' jus' leave 'er, she'll be crushed to pretty li'l pieces 'fore you help, Touya!"

She hadn't seen him before, when she'd surveyed her surroundings, but she'd been a little preoccupied. Now she wondered how she'd missed him. He landed with a solid thump right in front of her, observing her with a wry smile.

"Ye do seem to be in a pickle, lass," he commented, squatting and looking closer at the vines coming from the earth. "Oy, Touya, doncha think this looks a bit like Kurama's work?"

With an exaggerated sigh, a man with similarly strange fashion taste and hair sidled out of the forest. He took his sweet time coming over to Amai and the other stranger, but Amai was too busy staring at the two of them to complain. The person squatting in front of her had shockingly red hair and was wearing… well, not very much at all. He was barefoot and instead of a shirt wore cloth crossed over his chest. The other person was wearing what looked like armor of some sort, although it was rather light looking. He was all in blue, much of it a shade of navy so that he nearly blended into the dark surroundings. Amai was taken aback enough to be silent. Well, for a moment anyway.

"I don't care _whose_ work it looks like, get it the hell off of me!" Amai seethed, speaking through gritted teeth.

"Och, aye lass! Quit yer yelpin, I'm workin' on it."

"Jin," intoned the blue haired guy.

The red head moved aside as the other finally came to stand in front of Amai. She was able to keep her mouth shut long enough for him to observe her vine-encased limbs. The greenery had spread across her shoulders and around her waist. As it encircled her belly button, Amai found that whatever strange vibe she was getting from these guys wasn't enough to keep her quiet for long.

However, the moment she decided to snap at the blue haired guy was the same moment he sent her a harsh glare. Something about him screamed 'don't mess with me' so she managed to stay quiet long enough to see his hand disappear. The air around her got very cold and the pressure was suddenly relieved from her appendages.

Amai swung her now-free leg around, testing it. The vines had fallen casually to the ground, disintegrating as if they'd never had life in them at all. Stretching her shoulder, she tried to understand the situation before her.

"So, what the hell was that, then? I mean, that's not what normal vines do," she spoke in an accusing voice, choosing to focus on the red head. He was less threatening.

Amai was ignored as the blue haired guy turned to the red haired guy – was his name Jin? Was that what the other guy called him?- and said, "If you had waited a few minutes more, I'm sure our target would have shown up."

Jin (as Amai tentatively called him) shook his head, "Nahh, I don' sense another soul nearby. So, either he's real good at hidin' his presence like a demon, or he's pullin' the strings from somewhere else. She woulda been crushed, Touya!"

"_She_ is right here and very confused." Amai inserted, disgruntled.

"Well, I don't sense anything in particular about her," the one called Touya gestured to Amai in an offhanded manner. "I'm not sure why she'd be targeted but check her anyway. Maybe you'll catch something this time."

Jin either chose to ignore that stab or was used to such comments as he merely grinned before standing up tall and leaning over Amai. He was very much in her personal bubble, enough so that Amai took a step back.

"Ah, lass, Ah won' hurtcha. Ahm jus' gonna check an' see if ye've any interesting scents on ye," his response should have been reassuring but everything about it seemed off.

Amai's shoulders went up defensively as Jin the redhead sniffed around her. He stood up quickly, squinting at her. Touya watched his partner with interest.

"Well, ain't that odd!" Jin proclaimed, crossing his arms. "She does smell a bit like Kuwabara but also a bit like Yusuke's lass- Keiko, yeah? What Ah mean to be sayin' is, they're sharin' a smell of some sort."

Touya seemed thoughtful for a moment. "It's probably the school they go to."

Amai's mind was racing a million miles a minute, or at least something close to that. There was nobody named Kuwabara at her school that she knew of, but there was a Keiko who went by Kei. There was a Keito too, of course. There might have been a Yusuke but certainly the Kei she knew was not dating anyone. So it couldn't have been her school. And she had only rinsed after the soccer game so she might still smell like the school she had gone to for the game. Saryashiki High. Amai found that she was nodding to herself as she inwardly made the connections.

"Ah guess this one will be alright fer now," Jin nodded his head toward Amai. "But doncha go lookin' for trouble any more, ya hear?"

Amai looked between the two of them. "This is the most messed up experience of my life. You gotta answer some questions before you just take off."

"We don't have to do anything," Touya retorted, grumbling a word that sounded rather like 'human'.

Stomping her foot, Amai replied maturely, "Oh yes you do! That plant wasn't natural, ok?"

"We know," Jin nodded. "But yer jus' gonna hafta leave it at that, fer now."

"Like hell I do!" Amai waved her hands in the air, but her response was to no avail as the blue haired Touya disappeared. Amai gasped, "Wait- a minute!"

"No more trouble!" the red haired Jin waggled a finger at her before disappearing as well.

Amai stood in the field, both flashlights now glaring brightly, her mouth wide open. "_What the hell_…"

**One night I fell asleep and I woke up on that sunny street**

**At first I thought I couldn't, but now I see/ That the shadows kept me hidden**

**From the light that calls my name/ All the creatures stood above me**

**Now I'm crawling towards the sun**

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Hope you enjoyed seeing our favorite demons! :) Well, some of them anyway. Thanks again for reading, I look forward to hearing your commentary! See you soon! - pretiburdi


	4. Chapter 4 (Unbelievers)

Hello readers! Welcome to Chapter 4! (dun dun duuuun!) First of all, a shout out to my beta-readers, Ryan and Paoro. They have been helping me get my act together and keep this thing exciting. I'm stoked to say that we get to see Kuwa-chan again in this chapter; he's tough to write but such a fun character.

Special thanks to **LunarWanderer1420: **Oh my goodness you are too sweet stop before I get a big head you flatterer ;) But seriously thank you so much for the review! You're wonderful - stay cool yo 3333

PS I love this song it's by Vampire Weekend (who I saw last weekend omgsh so amazing waaat) Anyway: Enjoy the show, unbelievers ;)

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Chapter 4 (Unbelievers)

**Got a little soul, the world is a cold, cold place to be  
Want a little warmth, but who's gonna save a little warmth for me?  
I'm not excited, but should I be?  
Is this the fate that half of the world has planned for me?**

Hopping off the bus, Amai tried not to trip over her own tired feet. She'd somehow managed to ride her bike back home after that amazingly strange occurrence the night before. Her hands had gripped the handlebars and her feet had pedaled her home but her mind was back on that field.

She'd also been able to fall asleep, thanks to exhaustion and her brain's ability to compartmentalize what she'd seen. Those two guys with the weird hair – Jin and Touya - were they even real? When she woke up, incidentally missing out on the last piece of toast and running late for practice, Amai had decided that what had happened the night before was true. It was also weird enough that she needed to investigate.

Now, Amai was not exactly the type of person to just run around playing detective (rather, she was becoming that type of person but normally had never thought of herself that way). However, something seemed off about the whole event and she was most certainly not the type of person to just let that sort of sleeping dog lie.

Checking her watch now, Amai calculated how much time she had to complete her search and get home to prepare for her date with the delectable Toru Arashii. If she found who she was looking for and didn't run into any trouble, she should be fine.

With that cheery thought in mind, Amai walked through the gates of Saryashiki High School. She turned to a group of chatting girls, all preparing to walk home. The bell had just rung, but Amai had skipped her last class to make sure she was able to find who she was looking for.

"Uh, hello," Amai started. The girls stopped and stared a moment, noting Amai's foreign uniform. "I'm looking for someone named Kuwabara? Or, um, Yusuke?"

She asked very hesitantly, the names strange to her. She wasn't quite sure if they were first or last names, and she still wasn't sure she had been on the right track. The girls looked at her very curiously, eyebrows raised high.

"I don't know why you're looking for them, but I suggest you don't." One girl with blonde pigtails and a long face informed Amai. "They're trouble."

Amai nodded, "Yes, I'm sure. But a friend asked me to give them a note, so I'm just trying to be a good friend."

That part was all made up. Trouble, huh? No wonder those two weirdoes on the soccer field knew them. They all seemed like a heap of trouble to her. She might have been better off asking if there was a Keiko at the school, but it had seemed like such a popular name and the other two not.

"Oh, a note?" a shorter girl with ear-length black hair snorted. "Like a love note? For _those_ guys?"

Amai shrugged, trying not to frown. Not a lot of love lost between the other students and these two guys, it seemed.

"Just a note. Dunno what's inside. So I'm guessing they're here at least. Do they usually stick around? Have a club or something?"

The last girl in the group snorted. "Urameshi's barely here. Kuwabara might be around though. He's been holing up in the library trying pass English. I guess he wants to graduate, after all."

"About time," the pigtailed girl added grumpily.

"Well, thanks. I'll find it on my own." Amai quickly rushed passed them.

After her questions about what had happened the night before, she'd have to ask why these guys were so unpopular. The school was small and steadily emptying. Her red and white uniform stood out among the blues and yellows. Amai hurried through the hallways, pausing occasionally to ask for directions to the library. It wasn't long before she found it, and she shuffled inside with a sigh.

"Finally," she muttered to herself, searching the library for a person who could be named Kuwabara.

It would be too easy if she had super-sensitivity to people, and far too easy if someone had described Kuwabara to her. However, she began by scouting the library for students who looked "other", like the people she'd met last night. Crazy hair, strange clothes… the lot. However, everyone was wearing uniforms. And the only strange hair she saw was a yanki pompadour which, in reality, wasn't super crazy.

But, it was the craziest hair in the nearly empty library. So she started there. She would later congratulate herself on her amazing intuition (or, as many would call it, dumb luck).

Amai stomped over to the table where this boy with the pompadour sat. Books were piled up in disarray all around him and the notebook he was reading from had papers sticking out of it, notes in poorly written English. Amai slapped her hand on the wooden table, startling him.

"What the-" the startled student stuttered, biting off a curse word as he saw who stood before him. "Uh, excuse me, did you need somethin'?"

Amai was surprised. He had the look of a delinquent but he seemed pretty harmless. That, and he'd apparently decided not to curse in front of her. That was respectable.

"Yeah, I need something." Amai pulled a chair out and plopped into it. "I've got, like, a ton of questions for you. And unless there's another Kuwabara walking around here, you're the only one who can answer those questions."

Kuwabara squinted at her curiously, "Do I know you or something?"

Amai shook her head before crossing her legs. "Not directly, no. But we have something in common, I think. Tell me, do you know any gingers who would hang around soccer fields at night?"

She tried not to be embarrassed at the particularly queer look her gave her. She managed to stuff down the embarrassment but was unable to harness the frustration so well.

"Okay, you want me to say it straight? There were some weirdoes hangin' out at my soccer field and one of them was _ginger_ and the other one had _blue hair_ and they were both super freaky, and they talked funny, and they were completely unreal –"

Kuwabara reached across the table, making a shushing noise and slapping his large hands over her mouth. He looked around suspiciously. Amai was shocked into a stupor for a moment before she began steaming. Clenching her fists into her skirt she impatiently waited for him to remove his hands and explain himself. When he realized where his hands were, he pulled them back as if he were touching fire, smiling embarrassedly, his face a little pink. Amai narrowed her eyes at him, her eyebrows scrunching together in a rather dangerous manner. The look was also highly unflattering.

"Okay, I think I know who you're talkin' about," Kuwabara said in hushed tones, gathering up his things quickly. "But we can't talk about it here, okay?"

Amai continued her pout but nodded understandingly. She knew the guys she'd met on the field were beyond normal, unnatural in some way. Amai nodded again before checking her phone, uncrossing her legs, and standing while sending a text message.

She felt Kuwabara looking over her shoulder and she hit the send button very quickly, without spellchecking or making sure her text wasn't overly crazy sounding. Amai snapped her phone shut and glared at Kuwabara. He looked abashed and grinned.

"That was a pretty cute lookin' text," he commented, turning and walking through the library doors, expecting Amai to follow. "Sure wish I got that type of text from girls."

He began to giggle like a schoolgirl and blushed a mighty red. Amai watched with wide eyes as he said to himself, "Well, I sure wish Yukina could get the hang of a cellphone… maybe I should show her how to use one…"

Amai trotted to catch up, her ears perking up. "Yukina, huh? That your girlfriend? I never peg you yankis for the girlfriend type. Well, not the 'giggle over your girlfriend' type, anyway."

Kuwabara nearly choked as he turned to look at Amai, walking backwards a bit as he told her off. "Yukina's not my girlfriend and I'm not a yanki! I'm a warrior for peace and love, alright?"

Amai bit her lip in order to not chuckle. "Alright, I get it. Sorry for sticking my nose in."

She didn't sound sorry at all.

Kuwabara seemed to accept the apology however and finally broached the subject Amai had been waiting for.

"Do you know the name of the guys you met on your, uh, soccer field? What school do you go to, anyway?"

"Oh," Amai looked down at her uniform. "Shino High. And I think it was Jin and Touya? Jun and Tayo? Something like that. But they said all sorts of weird things, and I don't even know where to _begin_ on the crazy _plant_ that nearly crushed my soccer-loving bones!"

Amai let out a loud grumble of frustration, drawing some odd looks. Kuwabarra picked up his step as he attempted to get them both off school grounds.

They passed through the school gate, where some girls were hanging around and chatting and some students meandered around the grounds. Amai picked up from where she left off.

"Anyway, the two weird guys said something about how I smelled like these other people- you being one of them- and I knew there weren't any Kuwabaras at my school, and I know we have a Yosuke but I wasn't sure about a Yusuke. And the only Keiko I'm aware of wasn't dating a Yusuke. I mean, there's people at my school I don't know, but not many. I figured that there was only one other place I'd been that a bunch of other people their age –our age- would have been, since all I do is school and soccer." Amai concluded by smacking her hands together and narrowing her eyes at nothing.

Saying it out loud made it sound a lot vaguer than she had decided last night, and the doubt was clear on her face. Kuwabara had peeked back and seemed thoughtful.

"That's pretty smart," he commented, adjusting the piles of books in his hands. "I mean, there could have been other places you'd come into contact with people from another school, but what better place to check first than the school itself?"

Amai grinned exuberantly, glad her detective work was being recognized. She hadn't read a stack of well-translated Nancy Drews for nothing. She continued trotting to keep up with Kuwabara, not worrying about where they were headed.

"Anyway," Kuwabara continued hesitantly, as if unsure where to begin or what to say. "Anyway… Well, I guess what I can tell you is that you should for sure stay off soccer fields by yourself for a while. And I'm not sure what more to tell you other than that. I guess I can talk to-"

Amai smacked his arm as hard as she could, causing him to drop some books and startled a yelp from the orange-haired delinquent.

"Talk to who! Those two guys? If you talk to them, I wanna talk to them too! I wanna know _what_ attacked me and I wanna know _why_!"

"Alright, alright!" Kuwabara jumped back from her, in case she decided to strike again. Amai found it easy to forget his yanki status when he was cowering from her bare hands. A rather self-satisfied smirk settled on her face, but Kuwabara continued speaking. "I dunno what attacked you but honestly, you were probably in the wrong place at the wrong time. I mean, nothing else weird has happened to you, right?"

Amai sucked in her breath painfully. Weird… that would include the mysteriously-deflected ball, right? Her silence was long enough to cause concern and Kuwabara raised an eyebrow. He bent to pick up the expelled books, restacking them precariously. Amai stared down at her toes and Kuwabara sighed.

"Listen," he said, balancing the books in one hand and pulling a battered cell phone out of his uniform pocket with the other. "Gimme yer number so I can get back to you on what to do."

Amai raised her eyebrows now and smiled sheepishly when he looked morbidly embarrassed and began sputtering about how he was not just trying to get her number.

"I mean, I sense _something_ about you but not much. And I'll just let you know what I find out, okay?" Kuwabara continued rather nonsensically to Amai but she checked the time on her phone once more and reluctantly nodded.

"I better not get any chain mail from you," she muttered and told him her telephone number. "And what do you mean, sense something? Can you read minds or something? I'm not disbelieving anything after last night. I wanna believe, ya know?"

She managed to grin at her joke though it seemed lost on Kuwabara. She nearly jumped when she realized how rude she had been for their entire conversation. With a startled look, she bowed haphazardly and recited the usual.

"I'm Amai Nagori! Sorry I knocked the books out of your hands, and sorry I interrupted your studying! That was pretty rude," she straightened and tried her best to look sorry, which wasn't too difficult as it was pretty sincere. "I just want to sort this thing out. You know?"

The smile he gave her was startling. It was very clear that he knew exactly what she meant. It was also clear that he knew a hell of a lot more than he was saying, but Amai was somehow unable to hold it against him. She began walking again, Kuwabara's long strides easily matching in a jaunty walk. Looking embarrassed, she started to speak but Kuwabara interrupted her.

"Listen, just don't go anywhere by yourself for a while. There's bad stuff going around anyway, no one should be going out alone. And just, uh, wait for a text, okay?" he seemed a bit rusty around ladies, but Amai was starting to find him extremely endearing.

She nodded agreeably and smiled, "Okay. I think I can manage that. Well, I gotta get ready for a date-"

Kuwabara abruptly stopped walking and Amai stopped as well. She looked up at the sign she had nearly walked into; the bus stop sign. Kuwabara had walked her straight to the bus stop she had needed to go to. Amai whipped around to stare at him, but he seemed exactly the same as before.

"Well, I'm gonna go now. Have fun on your date, and it was nice to meet you, Nagori." Kuwabara grinned before walking off.

"Nice to meet you too!" Amai shouted as the bus pulled up behind her, rustling her skirt and hair.

Boarding the bus and swiping her bus card, Amai slumped into a seat towards the front. It seemed that every day was ending with a major episode of confusion. Rubbing her temples as she contemplated all that she'd learned, Amai decided to push her worrying aside and think about her makeup for the date. It was, after all, only a few hours away.

Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket and she clicked it open quickly. It was just Kazuma Kuwabara sending a text so she'd have his number as well. She looked out the windows as the bus turned down a road and she caught sight of his orangey hair. At first she thought he was smiling but as they drove by she saw he was deep in thought, his brows furrowed. Amai was immediately hit with a sense of foreboding that didn't leave her until she arrived home some time later.

** We know the fire awaits unbelievers  
All of the sinners the same  
Girl you and I will die unbelievers  
Bound to the tracks of the train**

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Eheheheee I love writing this fanfiction it makes me so pleased... leave a review or rate it or what have you, that would also make me so happy :) General commentary and updates about the story are on my tumblr, which is on the main page if you're curious.. just sayin 3 Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5 (Ladies and Gentlemen)

**Bonjour! **So, my lovelies, this is a rather long chapter which is why I request your forgiveness for posting late :O I am currently writing chapter 6 now, so it ought to be ready right on time :) Now time for shout outs

Thanks to my beta readers, GIBBS, RYANSAUCE, and PAROO whose names are legal and very real, you may be assured. Also thanks to **Lunarwanderer1420** ! Thank you so much for the review! Thank you for your comments- I found Kuwabara tough to write but the more I do it the more I only want to write him haha. Forget everyone else! Kuwabara is King! I have new found appreciation for him. Thanks to tumblr :D

Thanks to **bloodyrosethorns** for favoriting the story and I look forward to your reviews! Thanks also to **Wolf-Cry-Night** for following the story! I also look forward to hearing from you! 217 people have at least looked at this story... I hope people think this is pretty good! Ooooh anxiety.

PS I AM AT HOME WITH MY PUPPIES AND I MISSED THEM SO MUCH THEY SMELL TERRIBLE BUT I LOOOOVE THEMMMMM if you want pix they're on my tumblr lol

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(Ladies and Gentlemen)

**Ladies and gentlemen please  
Would you bring your attention to me?  
For a feast for your eyes to see  
An explosion of catastrophe**

Amai woke with a pleasant yawn, stretching languidly in her bed. She couldn't keep the smile from her face as she sat up dreamily and crawled out of bed. A quick look in the mirror showed major bed head and a light blush. She gently touched her lips and grinned before prancing off to the upstairs bathroom to get ready for school.

The date had been beyond amazing. Arashii and she had met for coffee the next town over. He had very conveniently chosen a spot that was on the bus line, which she had caught at the very last minute. She had primped and curled her hair some, and had asked her older sister for some help with the perfect smoky eye. Sitting back on the bus she'd flattened her skirt, double checked her finely painted nails, straightened her flats, and tried to relax. She had closed her eyes and listened to the radio, letting the reporters chatter about people of all ages, from all over Japan, being spirited away. The words went in one ear and out the other. Amai could only focus on lovely Toru Arashii and her lovely date with him.

Amai finished brushing her teeth, fixing her hair, and dressing for school in record time as she continued daydreaming about her date. She missed the last piece of bread but opted for a tall glass of orange juice and a protein bar for her early morning workout. Then she skipped off to school, a song in her heart and a dreamy smile on her face.

Arashii and Amai had talked all night long and she never got bored. There was just something about him that drew her in, that made her hang onto every word he said. Maybe it was his beautiful face, or the tone of his voice, or the way he stretched his legs so his feet nearly touched hers beneath the table. Whatever it was, she didn't care. Amai was on a crush-rush.

The best part was when the date had ended and the coffee shop had closed for the night. Arashii waited at the bus stop with her, and when the bus's headlights pulled around the corner he turned to face her with a light blush and a nervous smile.

"Can I kiss you good night?" he had asked with only a slight tremor in his voice.

Amai had grinned exuberantly before pointing to her cheek teasingly. Arashii looked relieved, then swooped in to peck her cheek. He lingered just a moment there, his lips pressed to her warm cheeks. When he pulled back he asked if they could meet again the next evening. The bus had pulled to a stop in front of them, and as the doors swung open Amai nodded and exclaimed that they absolutely could meet again the next night. She had waved from her window seat and day dreamed about her second date.

Amai nearly choked as she realized she was drooling and daydreaming in front of the locker room mirrors. Some of her teammates walked by, staring and teasing but Amai could hardly care. She blushed some and wiped her mouth but otherwise continued drying off from her post-workout shower.

"Keito," Amai yodeled for her friend and coach. Keito stuck her head out from one of the showers in response. "Keito, I'm going on another date tonight."

"Yeah?" the girl replied, ducking back in to finish her shower. She shouted to be heard about the water. "Where are ya goin' tonight? You gonna see that other coach?"

Amai nodded before realizing that Keito wouldn't see the movement and shouted back an affirmative. The water turned off as Amai tucked her hair into a messy bun and slapped some moisturizer on her face. Keito came out wrapped up in a towel and shaking her short hair like a dog.

"Well, good." Keito said. "He seemed pretty cool. Besides, he saw you do something stupid during the game and saw you get a nose bleed. I guess he must like you, then."

Amai stuck out her tongue at Keito's teasing but grinned. They walked together to class, chatting and laughing. The day passed in the same way it had the day before. It wasn't long before the final bells were ringing and Amai was rushed outside for an afternoon scrimmage and practice in between games.

Before long, she was sweating and cheery, nearly glowing with excitement for the evening's activities. However, every once in a while she found herself staring warily at the surrounding woods. At one point she was staring so long and hard she got a headache and had to switch out with a fellow teammate to get some water.

However, it reached the time that everyone was showering off and heading home and Amai was leading the way. She rushed through her shower in the locker room before starting her walk back home for a more thorough shower and much preparation for her second date.

And that is how she found herself tracing a pattern in the sand with the point of her boots. They'd decided to meet at the boardwalk a few towns over. It was still warm enough outside that a walk around the beach was pleasant, if a little brisk at night. Amai had decked herself out in a brand new fall coat from the outlets in Shino, plus a pair of patterned leggings and a navy tunic dress. Her boots zipped up to below her knees and her hair was pulled back with an impressive amount of pins, the result of which left wisps of hair curling around her face while the bulk was held back. God bless big sisters.

"Hey, you're early!"

Amai turned quickly at the sound of his voice, unable to stop the girlish grin from spreading across her face. She stood and waved Toru Arashii over.

"I took the early bus by accident, Arashii. But I wasn't waiting too long, don't worry." She stuck her hands back in her coat pockets.

Arashii pouted prettily as he came to a stop in front of her. "I thought you said you'd call me Toru?"

Amai blushed bright pink, "Well, alright then. I took the early bus by accident, _Toru_."

She nearly giggled with the pleasure of saying his first name. Mm, how she loved boys and dating. He grinned now and took her hand, leading her down the boardwalk. They walked and talked, chatting about school and likes and dislikes, meandering through the carnival games, quirky t-shirt shops, and yummy food booths.

They began playing a variation of 20 questions, getting to know each other as the wandered the boardwalk. They'd been easy to start: How many siblings did he have? (None) What was her favorite food? (Anything with fish)

After a time, however, the questions got deeper and Amai had thought to bring them back on a more lighthearted track.

"Alright then, Mr. Nosy." Amai turned on her heels and walked backwards. "What's the weirdest thing you've _ever _seen?"

He frowned severely, making Amai stop short. She looked at him worriedly, her mind frantically bouncing around to all the weird things he might have seen. Though it took a moment, he thoughtfully took a breath and answered primly, almost daring her to tease.

"A ghost." He replied after a beat.

Amai startled. "A ghost?"

He nodded, his eyes scrutinizing her every move. Amai was pensive as she looked up at the darkening sky.

"Well," she began, lacing her fingers behind her back. "I suppose that would be a weird thing to see. I've never seen one myself."

Something about him relaxed a little although he continued to regard her carefully. A curious quirk to his eyebrow, he asked if she was sure about having never seen a ghost. Amai nodded her response.

"I mean, maybe when I was a baby or something, but not to my memory have I seen anything inhuman." She nearly jolted at her own phrasing, realizing that it was not completely true.

Whether or not Toru noticed her hesitance to continue, Amai did not know. She found herself contemplating the strange people she had met on the soccer field, the warning she'd received from the red haired one, and Kuwabara Kazuma's rather cryptic comments.

"Maybe you just don't remember," Toru said urgently.

Something about his tone made Amai think he had been expecting a different reaction from her, that he'd expected her to burst into laughter or suddenly exclaim that she had been seeing ghosts all her life. Amai shrugged and smiled.

"Maybe," she pacified.

"Sorry, I guess this is sort of … a personal topic." Toru rubbed the back of his head a moment before smiling winsomely. "But at least you didn't laugh."

Amai chuckled, "I would never! Anyway, please tell me about your ghost! Uhm – if you feel comfortable, that is."

"Let me treat you to ice cream first. I bet your favorite flavor is… green tea ice cream?" he guessed with a laugh.

Sticking out her tongue, Amai replied that she was more of a sorbet eater. Sorbet or a five scoop ice cream sundae. There was no in between. They laughed as they walked over to the ice cream booth, ordering a raspberry sorbet for Amai and a plain vanilla for Toru. They left the boardwalk and found some benches beneath a copse of trees and sat down quickly, ready to stretch their weary legs.

Amai quickly began to eat her large sorbet as Toru began his story.

"I suppose I've seen… ghosts… since I was very young. I remember seeing things other people could not, frightening things. Ever since then I've tried to play the part of your average teenage boy who occasionally has specter problems. The ghosts I see are cruel and seem to torture humans, if only by haunting them. It's… awful to see."

Amai realized that she'd left her spoon in her mouth and had frozen as soon as he'd begun to speak. She quickly swallowed her sorbet before choking and stared at him, wide-eyed.

"I don't have any ghosts around me, do I?" Amai suddenly got goose-bumps, as if by merely mentioning the phantoms they could appear before her eyes.

Something viscous dripped from the tree above her and onto her forehead, another loud drip sounded in her sorbet cup. Toru didn't answer her, but looked up into the trees very quickly, a grimace on his face. Amai rubbed the liquid from her forehead with her bare hand, prepared for tree sap.

What came away was bright, bright red.

Just as she had been when listening to Toru's story, Amai found herself frozen, this time in denial. Toru stood up before her, still staring keenly into the trees. A light giggle erupted from the leaves and Amai noticed that there were no bird calls or insect noises to be heard. That realization startled her from her dazed stare at her bloody fingertips. Another droplet of red fell onto her face as she tilted her head to look at the trees.

"I didn't realize we had the time to take people on dates," the cheerful, female voice from the trees chirped. "Goton and I thought we had quotas to fill and all sorts of priorities, but I guess we had it all wrong!"

Amai stood, leaving her sorbet on the bench next to Toru's ice cream. She turned to stand next to Toru and looked up into the trees. Her brain was still halfway between acceptance and rejection; the red stuff must be ink or water or tree sap and the sunset was throwing off the color. However, once she looked up into the trees she could no longer deny what covered her forehead and hands.

A tall man, muscular and nearly blending in with the shadows, held a limp and dripping form over his arm, like a load of laundry. The man was quite expressionless and very still. Amai wasn't even sure he was breathing beneath the black t-shirt he wore. Meanwhile, the girl next to him could only be described as such: girly. Girly and lovely.

Standing next to the man she had called Goton made her seem even smaller than she was. Amai wondered if she was even out of grade school, what with the slightly pudgy baby cheeks and her pigtailed black hair. She was wearing a school uniform that Amai didn't recognize. Glimpsing at the three of them in the trees, Amai realized that the body Goton held wore a similar uniform to the girl's.

"Toru… that's…" Amai narrowed her eyes at the body. "Is he dead?"

Before he could reply, the girl began to laugh. She leapt down from the trees and landed neatly in front of Amai, who took a hesitant step back.

"Toru, huh?" the girl quipped, looking back and forth between Amai and Toru. She turned her gaze finally to Amai and gave her a hard stare before raising her eyebrows. "Hmm, I guess you are something special, mmhm!"

"What?" Amai's voice was barely above a whisper.

Nodded almost sagely, the girl introduced herself. "I'm Mii-chan! Let's be friends, okay?"

Something finally snapped in Amai and she swallowed her fear, gesturing towards the trees and saying in a surprised voice: "Let's be _friends_? You have a dead body in a tree! Why did you kill him? What the hell is going on?"

The self-proclaimed Mii-chan pouted dramatically, poking Amai sharply in the forehead. "Aw, poor little new friend! You haven't been informed of what's going on, huh? Don't worry, you'll be updated soon."

The look Mii gave Toru spoke volumes, though Amai couldn't comprehend the meaning. The subtle lift of his eyebrows and how his breath caught in his chest made Amai wonder if he feared Mii, or maybe Goton. They seemed familiar but not friendly.

"Now you, Mister Toru! You have a lot of explaining to do! I'll leave you to it. Hurry up or we'll be after you next!" she giggled and leapt back into the tree, leaning playfully on Goton. "Well, we will see you two lovebirds later! Bye bye!"

They disappeared before Amai could blink. She felt her nose begin to run and quickly lifted her hand to her face. Pulling it back she saw more redness glistening in the moonlight; her nose was bleeding, heavily. She turned her wide eyes to Toru, who finally stopped searching the trees and looked down at Amai.

"Toru-"

"Don't!" he cut her off quickly, harshly. Toru took a moment to conform himself, though his tone remained terse. "You don't want to know anything about them. Trust me."

She was a little ashamed at her shaky hands and her trembling lip. Trying to be resolute, she clenched her fists.

"Well, I do want to know! I have someone else's blood on me! Tell me what is going on!" she managed not to shout though her whisper seemed a dull roar in the surrounding silence.

Toru seemed surprised at her outburst, looking at her very closely. The air felt heavier and Amai shrunk into herself a little, shoulders hunching at his intense stare. The birds and crickets had yet to return, lending to the eeriness of the scene. Amai blinked, breaking the staredown between her and Toru. He seemed to be having an internal argument, frowning so deeply.

"Amai," he began in a soothing voice, reaching out to gently grasp her elbow. It was reminiscent of the way a person approaches a wary animal. "Amai, listen. This is very important- do not ask me about this event."

He said it with such sincerity that she found herself seriously considering it. With his free hand he had rummaged in his pockets for some tissues, pressing them to her nose. His fingers brushed her cheek and she sighed in defeat.

"What would Keito say about this date…" she murmured, half-jokingly.

Apparently startled, Toru squeezed her nose tightly and whispered a warning. "You can't tell your friends about this. Your family either. Let's keep it a secret for now, shall we?"

"Toru, you're hurting my nose." Amai steadied her voice and cleared her throat. "But… you promise to tell me what's going on. Soon."

He nodded, smiling once more and wiping the rest of the blood from her face. "I will explain everything soon."

With that promise firmly in Amai's mind, she was relatively content. Something niggled in the back of her mind, like a little worm weaving its way through an apple. Taking her hand in his, he led her to the bus stop and waited silently with her until her bus arrived, even going so far as to pay for the trip back home. Before the bus arrived he pressed his lips against her forehead chastely. Something about the motion and his hand in hers relieved her worries- she would soon know what the whole evening was about. Even if she had to keep it a secret for a hundred years, she would know what had happened.

Toru waved from the sidewalk as her bus departed, a languid smile on his face. She settled into her seat and smiled softly to herself for a few moments. But as the streetlights passed by, Amai found her mind wandering. Though something seemed off, she could not focus on what exactly it was. She gazed dreamily out the windows, sticking her hands in her pocket. It took her a moment to realize her phone was vibrating against her manicured fingers.

Indolently removing the phone she opened a text from Toru.

"We will discuss our secret more tomorrow, maybe over some coffee? Yours, Toru".

Her fingers danced across the keys, a deep frown on her face. She sent her text, a bead of sweat dripping down her face as she stared at the little 'Message sent!' on her screen. A small envelope floated across the screen from one phone to another.

Anxiety gnawed at her as she anxiously awaited a reply. It happened almost instantaneously, though it seemed like years. Amai nearly jumped as the phone vibrated in her palm. She breathed a sigh of relief as she hit the answer button.

"Thanks for calling, Kazuma Kuwabara." She relaxed into her seat once more.

**Ladies and gentlemen, good evening  
You've seen that seeing is believing  
Your ears and your eyes will be bleeding  
Please check to see if you're still breathing**

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****Kuwa to the rescue :) See you guys soon! pretiburdi :)


	6. Chapter 6 (A Punk)

Chapter 6 (A Punk)

**A thousand years in one piece of silver  
She took it from his lily white hand  
Showed no fear, she'd seen the thing**

Amai did not go to school the next day. Her parents had both gone to work early and she had had to convince her older brother, Atsushi, that she was ill. It was easy enough: she complained of cramps and asked how much chocolate was in the house. Then she pretended to vomit on her way up the stairs and Atsushi had not bothered her since. Despite growing up with four women, he had declared that he would never be used to "lady problems". Amai felt a little guilty for using the lady problem card so early in the school year, but it seemed an appropriate situation.

She waited until he left for his morning shift at the gas station. Once she heard the door lock tight behind him she wrapped a scarf around her neck and zipped up her coat before grabbing her purse and sneaking out the front door.

As Amai cut through backyards and small stretches of woods to make it to the bus station, her mind sped back and forth between the cracks in the pavement and the insanity of the night before. Leaping over a flower bush and crossing through someone's backyard, she stomped her way to Saryashiki High School.

"Kuwabara, there's some girl waiting at the gates for you." The underclassman Watanuki peeked his head into 3-A.

"Yeah?" Kuwabara replied, quirking an eyebrow and chewing his lunch thoughtfully. "What's she look like?"

Was it Botan with a mission? No, she usually pretended to be a student and simply showed up. Maybe someone had mistaken Kurama for a girl again? He hoped not, and also doubted Kurama would just show up at Saryashiki High in the middle of the school day. That guy was nuts about his grades, for a super-strong demon.

"Dunno," the underclassman shrugged and paused to gather his thoughts. "Brunette, average height, average looks, huge frown, no uniform… does that help? She just said to come get you."

Before Kuwabara could respond his friends and classmates all began talking at once. Some of the guys clapped him on the back, and some girls began looking at him in a new light. His immediate friends waggled their eyebrows and grinned teasingly.

Kuwabara blushed some and quickly stomped out of the classroom before he shouted at everyone. He had a new reputation of being less thug-like to uphold, after all. Besides, for a tough guy he had rather delicate feelings (not that he'd ever really say that, of course).

Lo and behold, at the front gates paced a wickedly nervous Amai Nagori.

It had only been a day or two since they'd met but after their chat on the phone the night before he both trusted and empathized with her. He had a knack for understanding people after all. Amai Nagori was just another human accidentally thrust into a previously-fictitious supernatural world, well beyond the average person's ken.

When Amai caught sight of him she raced over, narrowing her eyebrows though she didn't seem angry. He wondered if that was simply her natural look.

"I couldn't wait," she breathed. "I'd say I'm sorry but I think I have pretty good reason to be impatient. So I'm not sorry."

She just seemed so adamant- or maybe straightforward was the word he was looking for. With all the demon world and spirit world secrecy around him, he found it rather refreshing.

"I get it," he appeased with a shrug. "But I can't talk long because I'll have to get back to class. And I thought I said not to come here or anywhere alone?"

"Well, I wasn't alone last night and weird shit still went down. So I figured I'd be alright for now." She bit off her sarcasm and rubbed the back of her head. "I didn't sleep last night, sorry. Too much on my mind. I just want this all… sorted out. You know?"

Kuwabara did know. He'd been pretty receptive to the whole Spirit Detective lifestyle since he'd had supernatural experiences before going to Genkai's and befriending Yusuke Urameshi. Oh- that suddenly brought a thought to mind.

"Hey, I have an idea." He said, fishing out his cell phone quickly. "I have classes until later, but I'm not just gonna leave you hanging. And I'm not blowing you off, I promise, I've just already missed a lot of school and the teachers are kinda wary of me."

Amai listened impatiently, chewing her lower lip as she searched Kuwabara's face. He was being honest about wanting to help her, she could tell. In fact, he seemed a honest person in general. Almost as if he couldn't help being honest.

"No, I get it. I don't miss school often because then I can't play soccer, but I thought today would be my exception." She smiled, sticking her hands in her pockets to keep them warm. "Anyway you can help, I'll be appreciative. I promise."

Amai Nagori was regretting her promise only an hour later. She sat in the torn up booth of a homey coffee shop, a few towns over. She'd taken the bus to get over and nearly missed the café it was so small. A real hole in the wall.

Kazuma Kuwabara had told her that someone would be meeting her at the coffee shop in thirty minutes, but the mysterious explicator was a half hour late. She'd already finished two black coffees and a bagel with cream cheese. She would go broke before this person arrived.

Some time later, after watching the news cycle through some celebrity scandals and local news she heard the chimes on the front door. Looking up, she tried to decide whether or not she was surprised by the newcomer.

Of average height, the new guest had his hands shoved deep into his pockets and an equally deep scowl on his face. He was rather good looking, Amai decided, with his hair slicked back like an old-time gangster. She imagined he'd be better looking with a smile and less hair gel, but she shrugged off the thought. The angry-at-the-world grimace made her think that he most likely was not her type.

He looked over at her almost immediately, making Amai's hair stand on end. There were very few people in the shop, but it still seemed too coincidental that he'd make his way over to her with such confidence.

"You the chick Kuwabara won't stop talkin' about?" he slumped down into the seat across from her, asking the question as though he already knew the answer.

Despite his lackadaisical look Amai could tell he was carefully assessing her. She puffed up her chest as if to ward off his appraising gaze. Amai nodded sharply in response to his question. She wasn't entirely sure if this was true, but it seemed likely.

There was an awkward moment of silence as they both waited for the other to speak. Amai was about to open her mouth when the boy looked around the café and spoke in an angry tone of voice (a tone that, Amai was beginning to understand, was natural).

"So are you gonna buy me a damn coffee or what?"

Amai bristled, "I sure as heck am not! I don't even know your name!"

He seemed almost startled, not at her response but that he'd forgotten to introduce himself. "Kuwabara didn't say, huh? Well, I'm Yusuke Urameshi, and for the price of a coffee I'll answer some questions for you."

Narrowing her eyes, Amai tried to remember why that name would make her nervous. She was certain that she'd heard it recently. Meanwhile, she waved down the waitress who was making her rounds with the coffee pot. Before Amai could request another coffee pot, Urameshi quickly began talking to the waitress.

"Hey, Mizu! I'll take a coffee and a sandwich!" he grinned as the waitress, a comely older woman, nodded and headed back to the kitchen to put in the order.

When Yusuke turned back to Amai she was gaping at him. He raised his eyebrows. "What, did you want something?"

Amai snapped, "I'm not made of money, you know!"

He shrugged, making Amai roll her eyes. The process of doing so, a process which is similar to staring back into your brain, shocked a memory to the surface of Amai's tortuous thoughts. She smacked her hands together and pointed vindictively at Urameshi.

"I know your name!" she said, unable to make the words match her thoughts. The look he gave her screamed 'obviously', so Amai shook her head and started again. "No, I mean, I've heard your name! You go to school with Kuwabara, and that guy with the red hair –Jun or something- knew you too!"

She didn't realize that her voice had risen a bit and she'd started to stand up in her excitement, leaning over the table and causing a look of consternation to come over Urameshi's face. He hushed her, looking around the quiet café briefly.

"Geeze, shut up." He frowned at Amai, waiting for her to settle back onto the duct taped cushion. "Although on second thought, why don't you start over and tell me exactly what the hell made you go look for Kuwabara in the first place?"

Nearly a half hour later, Amai was still eagerly retelling her tale, watching recognition occasionally light up Urameshi's eyes. She started with the weird invisible wall on the soccer field and ended with the awful occurrences of the night before. Her recollection was a little scattered, hectic even, and even to her it seemed choppy with her trying to leave Toru out as much as possible. She felt irrationally compelled to avoid talking about him. Normally, she would brag about having been on a date or two but every time she felt ready to mention him her brain sidetracked and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.

Urameshi rarely interrupted, which Amai had not anticipated. He seemed the type to stop her after the first sentence. Granted, he muttered to himself once and asked her to clarify once or twice, but he let her speak. The coffee and sandwich had long since been consumed and Amai's own coffee had gone quite cold. She ended her tale neatly, having made it as succinct as possible.

"So then Kuwabara told me to come talk to you." Amai finished by clapping her hands together and staring pointedly at him.

Somehow, she was still waiting for him to shut down everything she said. Tell her she was crazy and imagining things- ask her where she got her pot and then go smoke a joint together or something.

Amai forged ahead. "Do you… do you think they killed that kid? I mean, they must've, right? But, like, why?"

He was silent still, seemingly deep in thought. Amai waited impatiently until he rolled his eyes.

"Kuwabara would have been so much better at this." Urameshi sighed, scratching behind his ears thoughtfully. "I mean, I'm not one to beat around the bush so let's just get right to it."

Amai sat at the edge of her seat and held her breath, staring intently at Urameshi. She was squeezing her hands together hard enough that one of her rings was cutting into her circulation, if the numbness of her finger was any clue.

"I have no idea what's going on." Yusuke admitted with a huge grin and a shrug of his shoulders. Amai was about to screech with frustration when he hurriedly continued. "Well, I have a tiny idea. To put it plainly, you got yourself involved in some spirit shit."

Amai stared at him blankly. "Spirit shit."

"Yeah." He leaned over the table and clapped her on the shoulder with a roguish grin. "Welcome to the club."

**His Honor drove southward seeking exotica  
Cut his teeth on turquoise harmonicas  
Half of the ring lies here with me  
But the other half's at the bottom of the sea**

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_/Edit 11/11/13 / - I edited a couple of parts because I am a goober- sorry for lack of updates! Life is craaayzayyy for various reasons. I'll be updating again soon once my latest chapter has been beta'd (and thank God for my beta because wow where would I be without fabbity fab ryan omallerzy) the end :) _

I'm trying a new thing where we talk down here instead! I apologise for taking so long writing and posting. Despite lack of things to do my life has been busy? The chapters are getting difficult to write as I encounter characters I have not thought of in many many years. I might have to start re-watching all my yyh dvds haha.

Meanwhile, it's taken me a while because, unfortunately, my close friend died a few weeks ago. I haven't had much will to write fun anime stories but you know how it is with tragedy. You get a little better every day. But hey, she was too fabulous to stay. I got a little pink streak in my hair forher, since her hair was always a million different colors.

So here's what's up: please keep reading and reviewing! I always need help telling me what to do. :) The chapters will come faster with more Reese's cups... 3

**CeresMaria**- Haha! Don't worry, she will follow your advice I'm sure. It's too hard to keep all this locked up tight!

**anon**- thank you! I can't wait to write more! :)

**Kyrie Fay**- WAH Thank you! Huzza tumblr, woo! I feel like I'm advertising a product, harharhar. :) Thank you thank you! I'm excited to write this whole thing, it's fun to see where it's all going!

Thanks for all the reading and reviewing everyone! Feel free to drop a message and review and just be like "Yo gurl you cool bro" or "Gurl, why u postin this and watching Twilight huh?" and then I will reply "BECAUSE IT'S ON, OKAY?" Okay good. I ammmmm going to go to bed soon :) Night everyone and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sank yoooou ;) pretiburdi/ evereverafterly


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